Means for mechanical removal of dung



Dec. 13, 1949 L. G. BERGMAN 2,491,245

MEANS FOR MECHANICAL REMOVAL OF DUNG Filed Dec. 13, 1944 I Z. Sheets-Sheet 1 L. G. BERGMAN MEANS FOR MECHANICAL REMOVAL OF DUNG Dec. 13, 1949 & Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 15, l944 I IYVEHTOR 1 Lars Cwm'u. .B ermrn.

Ma -Abe's Dec. 13, 1949 L. G. BERGMAN 2,491,245

MEANS FOR MECHANICAL REMOVAL DUNG.

Filed Dec. 15, 1944 s Sheets-Sheet s AGENTJ Patented Dec. 13, 1949 MEANS FOR MECHANICAL REMOVAL OF DUN G Lars Gunnar Bergman, Traneberg, Sweden Application December 13, 1944, Serial No. 568,055 In Sweden May 9, 1941 Claims.

In order to facilitate the work in stables or the like one has for a long time tried to find some suitable method of removing the dung from the cattle by mechanical means. The liquid dung has been removed by means of stable conduits without any difiiculty, but for the solid part of the dung more complicated devices, so-called mechanical or automatic means for removal of dung, have been required. Several difierent constructions of this kind are known, for example conveyors consisting of chain, rope or band.

However, these devices have been connected with certain inconveniences. With regard to the quantity of dung, which is very varying from case to case, it has been very diflicult to obtain a construction which does not demand too much energy and which, from the point of view of erection and maintenance, could be adapted to the economy of the farms. The devices in question were usually intended for a few dung removals (two or three) for a period of twenty-four hours. Thus, a simple and robust construction was obtained, which construction, however, especially in large farms, required too great dimensions, thereby becoming both expensive and energy-consuming. In recent years it has become the practice to use devices for reciprocating drive, and by arranging them for several removals per twenty-four hours it has become possible to reduce their dimensions considerably. As the dung quantity may vary considerably from case to case even in these de vices, still it has been impossible to completely eliminate the earlier inconveniences. Moreover, especially in districts with cold climate these devices have proved less reliable, irrespective of the risk of accidents which is always at hand in auto matic continuous drive.

The present invention is based upon comprehensive experiments with such devices. It has appeared that in those cases in which the removed quantity of dung is below a certain maximum the devices work more satisfactorily. This discovery led to the construction of a device by means of which the said removed dung quantity can be maximized. It appeared among other things that thanks to this arrangement the whole device can be simplified both as to construction and to management. Further the construction of the exterior conveyors, which in earlier means for removal of dung were very hard to build and unsafe in drive, can be very much simplified. The essential feature of the present invention is that the conveying carriers or drivers have been arranged to remove the dung in portions beginning at one end of the manure-gutter, and that during 2 its continued transport from the stable the dung is moved to the discharge place by means of bucket, car or the like either on a cableway or hanging inthe drawing rope.

Devices for mechanical removal of dung according to this invention can be arranged according to two different systems with essentially the same effect. According to the first system the dung is removed in portions beginning at that end of the gutter which is situated next to the discharge place. According to the second system the dung is removed in the same way but beginning at that end of the gutter which is remote from the discharge place. Each of these two systems comprises chiefly two embodiments. In the first case the dung is brought to a discharge place by a device and from there another device is forwarding it to the manure-yard. In the second case the dung is brought direct to the manureyard by the same member.

Two embodiments of the invention are shown by way of example on the accompanying drawmgs.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device for mechanical removal of dung with gradual drive. Fig. 2 shows a regulation device for gradual increase of the transport way. Fig. 3 shows a sideview of the device according to Fig. 2, and Figs. 4 and 5 show detail views of Fig. 2 seen respectively from the end and from the side, while Fig. 6 is a diagram of the electric wiring.

According to Fig. 1 the dung is moved by a scraper to a car located at the end of the manuregutter, the said car forwarding it to the discharge place. In the figure the reference number I indicates the gutter with the scraper 2, and 3 indicates the culvert in which a cableway car 4 is running. This car is preferably provided with a swingably suspended container. The car 4 is moved back and forth on a cableway 5 which is extending above the discharge place (manureyard). on the cableway there is provided a release member 6 which actuates projections I on the underside of the car in such a way that the swinging container is tilted and empties its contents. The release member 6 is movable to the desired position on the cableway 5 by means of an operating rope 8 which cableway preferably can be fixed on a post 9.

The car 4 is moved back and forth on the cableway by means of a drawing rope I i! connected with the car and drawn by a motor hoist I I provided with a pole changer or the like. The scraper 2 is also connected with a drawing rope [2 which is drawn by a motor hoist l3 provided with pole changer or the like and with a member regulating the way of the scraper. The two motor hoists are connected to a starting switch [4 via relay and motor contactors.

Figs. 2-5 show a regulation device for gradual increase of the transport way. On the threaded shaft I8, which is driven at suitable speed by the motor hoist, there is moving a nut 59 carrying a swingably mounted lever arm 26 which in one end guides a pole changing switch 2i connected with the motor and in the other end is actuated by a regulatable stop device. This stop device consists of a shaft 22 on which rings provided with projections 23 are located in such a way that the projections form a helical line, as well as of a toothed wheel 2 with an actuating member 25. 26 is a shaft carrying liftable stops 2? which can be raised. When the nut I9 is moved outwards the front end of the lever arm strikes against that stop which stops the way of the lever arm. The

nut continues to move until the pole changing switch is changed over whereby the nut returns. The end of the lever'arm strikes agai'nstthe actu ating member 25, the toothed wheel 25 is actuated aiidthe shaft 22 swung so that the project-ion of the next ring raises its stop which stops the way when the lever arm strikes out next time. By this the stroke of the nut is increased and the way or the scraper is extended.

When dung is to be removed, the device is started by cutting in the start switch M. The circuit to the motor hoist 13 of the conveyor i2 in the gutter is closed. The scraper 2 which in the position of rest is located at the discharge place, is moved towards one edge of the gutter and is in this position drawn out into gutter 1 past the dung therein. The scraper continues in this way until the end position for the first step adjustment at the step breaker has been reached w h moment the motor hoist l3, through the action of a'changirig switch, changes its direction of motion. The scraper is now folded out and the uantity of dung which lies before the same is brought to the discharge place. When the scraper approaches its initial position at the discharge place, the dung falls down into the car whichstands below the discharge opening, and at the same moment as the initial position is reached, the pole changing S\ ch is changed over. An electric impulse is given automatically to the relay by a separate contact, whi h relay begins to i lCtlOll breaks the circuit of the first'motor oist at the same time as it c oses the current the motor hoist ii of the ext conveyor it. The so. r i'iow steps but the car is moved out on the cableway 5 towards the emptying place (the manure-yard). when the car comes into contact with the release member 6 so that its bottom projection l engages thefirst cross-bar or the like of the release member, the car, which is swinzgably mounted, is forced to asan oblique position.

The longer the car is moved forward, the more oblique its position will be. When the car has assumcdsuch a position that its bottom projection releases the first cross-bar, the irontside projection isin position for the second oross-baroi the release member. Now the-car is further tilted so hat its contents at last are emptied. If there are several cross-bars or the like, one after the other, a shaking effect of the car is obtained. When the car reaches its end position on the cable way its motor hoist it changes its direction of motion by the action of a changer and the car is moved back to'the initial position" at thedischarge place of the gutter. At the same moment as this position is reached the changer is reversed again and at the same time a new impulse is given to the relay, whereby the car stops and the scraper is set in motion again. The scraper is now folded again and brought to the second step position which is adjusted by the step breaker. The scraper now returns and brings the dung portion located in front of the scraper to the car. When the scraper reaches its initial position again it stops, and the car brings away this new portion. The procedure is repeated in this way until all steps adjusted by the step breaker have been passed whereafter, the scraper stops in its initial position. At the same time the circuit of the whole device is broken automatically, At a new action of the start switch the whole procedure is repeated.

At the adjustment of the distance of the step it has appeared that distances corresponding to the width oi' about '3 stalls normally give a maximum load which corresponds to suitable dimensions of the separate machine detaiis.

I Referring now to Fig. 6, by the influence of the starting switch it the operating current to the relay I4 is switched, this causing in turn the switchingof the motor contactor Hi", the motor hoist i-3 being herebystarted, When this is-oarried out the stroke in the gutter influences-the relay M by a contact in the pole changer 13, whereby the motor contaotor 14" makes a stroke and the motor hoist H is started. In the same time the contactor l4" becomes currentless this causing the stopping of the motor hoist 5-3. When the motor hoist i has carried out its stroke in the culvert and the cable way, a special contact in the pole changer H gives an impulse to the relay M with the result that the motor contactor i 1" becomes currentless and that the motor contactor It" receives current.

Having now -'des'crib'e 'd my "invention; what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v I

1. In an "apparatus for the removal of dung in stables provided with at least "one gutter, drawing rope means, conveyor means attached to'said drawing rope means and adapted for reciprocating movement within said gutter, regulating means connected to saiddrawi'ng rope means, said reg-to lating means including means for moving said conveyor means by said drawing rope means within said gutter with progressive step by step increasing of the path of movement for each reciprocating movement of said conveyor means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said regulating means consists of a threaded shaft, motor means drivinglyengaging said shaft, a displaceable nut provided'with a swinga'ble lever arm, a pole changeover switch for said motor adapted to be operated by said lever and a stop device for the regulating of the length of the step, said device adapted to stop the deflection of the lever at the movement of the nut in one direction until the .pole changeover swi'tch reverses, and likewise adapted to stop the lever atthe movement of the nut in the other direction 3. an apparatus according ciai in which the means for moving said conveyor means with progressive increasing of the path of movement consists of a shaft having rings, said rings being provided with projections forming a helix adapted to co-operate with the stop device regulating the length of the step, said shaft having mounted thereon a toothed wheel, said wheel having an actuating member whereby the stroke 'of the con REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Fisk Jan. 8, 1884 Meigs Feb. 14, 1893 Ullsperger Oct. 2, 1917 Broberg Oct. 16, 1917 Pratt Nov. 28, 1922 Livingston May 8, 1928 Yarn Jan, 15, 1929 Atz Nov. 2, 1937 Livingston Dec. 1, 1942 

